For those dog lovers who enjoy a sip of the grape, there are many ways to enjoy your dogs and a glass of wine, including joining a dog-friendly wine club and having your dog-themed wine delivered to your door. Increasingly, themed wine clubs are becoming available to all types of enthusiasts, often with a charitable bonus. Here are a couple of popular clubs that not only offer fun wines, but give to the dogs as well:
The Dog Lovers Wine Club is the brain-child of the Carivintas Winery in California, whose philosophy is “Blending Wine with Philanthropy”. Carivintas works with numerous California wineries to bring their collection of dog-labeled wines together. The Humane Society of the United States and other dog welfare organizations benefit from contributions by the Wine Club (to date the wine club has donated over $48,000). When you join, premium wines are shipped to you on a monthly, bimonthly or quarterly basis, with different dog labels. You can even have a picture of your dog put on the label. Recent offerings include the Vicktory Dogs Wine Collection, a two-case set illustrating pictures of 22 of the dogs rescued from Michael Vick’s property in 2007. Labels have also celebrated the dogs of New Orleans with their Resilient Pups Pinot Noir and SRS Champion Super Sue with their Super Retriever Series.
Mutt Lynch Winery of California was started in 1995 and sports the slogan “Tail-waggin’ wines made by and for dog lovers!” Mutt Lynch’s Club Mutt ships award-winning dog-labeled wine twice a year to their members, either under Club Mutt Big Dog (11 bottles) or Club Mutt Little Dog (5 bottles). Those who join also get discounts on individual orders from the vineyard. Mutt Lynch donates to dog-related charities including National Golden Retriever Rescue and many other state and local organizations. Some of their current wines include 2006 Unleashed Chardonnay, 2006 Portrait of a Mutt Zinfandel, and 2005 Canis Major Petite Sirah. You can also visit the winery (they are dog-friendly, of course) for tastings and special events for dogs, including birthday parties, “puppy” showers and “Bark” Mitzvahs.
Other dog-themed wine clubs exist as well, both in the U.S. and abroad. Snoop around and see what else is available for you and your wine-passionate dog-loving friends.
Tips: There are restrictions on wine sales and shipment within the U.S. and internationally. Check with the individual club or winery for eligibility requirements.
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